If your system is fully up-to-date, there will not be any entries in Update Manager. If you click the entry for a listed update, the “Update Details” box will provide some details about the update.

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If your system is fully up-to-date, there will not be any entries in Update Manager.

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Depending upon the type of update, an “Update Details” pane may or may not appear when you check the box next to the update.

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To install an update, highlight its entry and click the "Install selected updates" button. A progress bar will indicate the progress of the update.

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To update the system, check the boxes to select the updates to install or check the “Select/Deselect All” box. Once the updates are selected, click the “Install selected updates” button. A progress bar will indicate the progress of the update.

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If the update requires a reboot, you will be notified to do so after the update has been installed. If a reboot is needed, clicking the "OK" button at the informational message will not automatically reboot the system, meaning you can continue to use your computer for other tasks while the system is being updated. Finish whatever you are doing and reboot the computer at a time that is convenient for you.

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If the update requires a reboot, you will be notified to do so after the update has been installed. If a reboot is needed, clicking the "Close" button at the informational message will not automatically reboot the system. Finish whatever you are doing and reboot the computer to finish the update process.

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Revision as of 08:39, 3 June 2014

Update ManagerProtection (edit): Edited by: Drulavigne

Update Manager provides a graphical interface for updating the version of PC-BSD® and for applying security updates. This utility can be started from Control Panel or by typing pc-updategui. It can also be accessed from its icon in the system tray, if you are logged into a desktop that provides a system tray.

The status of the icon lets you determine at a glance if any of your installed applications are out-of-date, if a system update is available, or if a new version of the operating system is available. Table 7.2a summarizes the possible statuses of this icon.

Table 7.2a: Update Manager Status

your system is up-to-date

the system is currently checking for updates and patches

your operating system is out-of-date and system update(s) or patch(es) are available

newer versions of installed PBI(s) are available

newer versions of installed packages are available

the system was unable to check for updates, meaning you should check your Internet connection

the system is currently updating

the system needs to restart in order for the newly installed update to take effect

If you right-click the icon, you will see the menu shown in Figure 7.2a. As seen in the menu, Update Manager will automatically track updates to software installed using either the graphical or command line equivalents of AppCafe® and Warden®.

Figure 7.2a: Right-click Menu for Update Manager

Figure 7.2b: Applying a System Update

By default, updates are checked every 24 hours or whenever you boot the system. You can check for updates at any time by selecting "Check for updates". To disable the update check when the system boots, uncheck the "Run at startup" box. To disable the pop-up message over the icon when an update becomes available, uncheck the "Display notifications" box. To remove Update Manager from the system tray, click "Quit". You can put the icon back into the tray by typing pc-systemupdatertray.

Contents

Applying a System Update (GUI Method)

Occasionally, the PC-BSD® project releases a system update which addresses a fixed security vulnerability or a bug which impacts the use of the operating system. If the update is based on a FreeBSD security advisory, the update is usually available within 24 hours of the FreeBSD security announcement. To install a system update, open Update Manager and input your password when prompted. Figure 7.2b shows an example of a system where several updates are available .

If your system is fully up-to-date, there will not be any entries in Update Manager.

Depending upon the type of update, an “Update Details” pane may or may not appear when you check the box next to the update.

To update the system, check the boxes to select the updates to install or check the “Select/Deselect All” box. Once the updates are selected, click the “Install selected updates” button. A progress bar will indicate the progress of the update.

If the update requires a reboot, you will be notified to do so after the update has been installed. If a reboot is needed, clicking the "Close" button at the informational message will not automatically reboot the system. Finish whatever you are doing and reboot the computer to finish the update process.

System updates are one-way, meaning you cannot unapply an update once it is installed. If this is a concern, create a boot environment first, before applying the update.

Applying a System Update (CLI Method)

TrueOS® users, or those who prefer to use a command-line utility, can use pc-updatemanager, the command line equivalent to Update Manager, to apply system updates. If you type pc-updatemanager, it will show its available options:

System updates are one-way, meaning you cannot unapply an update once it is installed. If this is a concern, create a boot environment first, before applying the update.

Upgrading the Operating System (GUI Method)

Update Manager can be used to upgrade to the latest version of the operating system.

IMPORTANT--README BEFORE ATTEMPTING AN UPGRADE!

PC-BSD® has switched to ZFS-only. This means that you can not upgrade a system that is either 32-bit or formatted with UFS. If the hardware supports 64-bit, you will need to backup your important data to another system or external drive and then perform a new installation. The new installation will perform a format of the selected disk(s) with ZFS.

The boot loader and default ZFS layout changed with the July 23, 2013 image. This change was needed to support boot environments and ZFS snapshot management with Life Preserver. This means that you can not upgrade from a release prior to that date. If you are running a PC-BSD® version prior to July 23, you will need to backup your important data to another system or external drive and then perform a new installation. The new installation will create the required ZFS layout.

The ZFS version changed between 9.2 and 9.1 and ZFS does not support downgrading to an earlier version of ZFS. This means that you cannot downgrade a 9.2 installation to a 9.1 installation.

Before performing an operating system upgrade, always back up the data that is important to you. Life Preserver can be used to send a system backup to a remote system. It is also recommended to use Boot Manager to backup your current boot environment before performing the upgrade.

Figure 7.2c: Upgrading the Operating System

Before attempting an upgrade, you should also be aware of the following caveats:

the temporary files used by the upgrade process require 2GB of free space in /usr/. If you receive an error message indicating that you do not have enough free space to perform the upgrade, you will need to delete some files or move them elsewhere in order to create enough free space.

an upgrade will preserve the data in the home directories, any installed PBIs, and user accounts. It also preserves common configuration files and will merge any customizations you have made into the new versions of the following files: boot/loader.conf, /etc/rc.conf, and /etc/sysctl.conf.

Once you have backed up your data and confirmed that your version of PC-BSD® is older than July 23, you can use Update Manager to upgrade the operating system. In the example shown in Figure 7.2c, a system upgrade to 10.0-RELEASE is available.

If a RELEASE has been announced but the update does not appear in Update Manager, make sure that any updates that do show are applied first. That way, the system will be fully patched and ready for the system upgrade.

To perform the upgrade, check the box for the "System Upgrade" entry and click the "Install selected updates" button. A progress bar will indicate the download status of the files that changed with the upgrade.

Once the downloads are finished and applied, Update Manager will indicate that the system is fully updated. Close any applications that you have open, then reboot in order to load the latest version of the operating system.

Upgrading the Operating System (CLI Method)

Users who prefer to upgrade the operating system from the command line can use pc-updatemanager instead of the graphical Update Manager.

Once a new RELEASE has been announced, it should appear as available using the following command:

To start the upgrade, follow the "To install" instructions. Messages will indicate the status of the upgrade.

Once the upgrade is complete, a message will indicate that you need to reboot the system in order for the changes to take effect. Close any applications that you have open, then type reboot in order to load the latest version of the operating system and finish the upgrade.